New In Town// Bondi Rescue

You've Done Enough Already

“What on earth do you mean, ‘I happened’?” I screamed, throwing my hands in the air and walking away from Mandy. She huffed and followed me, reaching her car in silence.

“I just mean-“

“I don’t want to hear it!” I snapped loudly, slamming the door shut and folding my arms over my seat belt. “Just take me to the hospital and leave me alone.”

Mandy looked at me, her eyes wide open, her mouth quivering a little. For a few seconds she stayed this way, but quickly snapped back to herself. Turning in her seat, she slipped the car into drive and drove to the hospitals quickly without another word.

“Thank you.” I snapped quickly before running into the hospital.

Panic surged through me as I saw Greg talking to one of the nurses outside in the corridor.

“Greg! What’s happened? What on earth happened to-“ Before I could finish my sentence, Jesse hobbled out from his hidden seat round the corner. “Jesse...” I breathed as he slowly made his way towards me.

“Ryan tried to catch up with Jesse to tell him to go and see...” Greg trailed off, watching his friend slow his pace to a stop, his eyes set on the ground as his mind slowly drove him mad. “Ryan was driving recklessly and caused them both to crash. It was your fault.” Greg added, turning to Jesse and helping him back to the chair that was hidden round the corner.

I followed them slowly, not knowing what to say. From behind me, I heard light footsteps follow. As I rounded the corner, I saw Jesse’s head fall into his hands. Looking defeated, I took a seat next to him and simply laid a hand on his knee, not knowing what to say to him.

“Greggy, I’m not leaving you now. You need me more than ever.” I heard Mandy’s high pitched voice whine.

“Mandy, I don’t want you here. Just go home. You’ll only make things worse.” Greg begged, his voice lowering.

“I’m not going-“

“MANDY JUST GO HOME!” Greg shouted loudly, stopping Mandy in her tracks. There was a loud sigh and several seconds of awkward silence. “Look, you’ve done enough already. Just go home. I’ll meet you there later.”

There were quiet footsteps that slowly faded out. A wearily looking Greg slumped round the corner and slid, slowly down the wall.

“I can’t apologise enough, Soph. What Mandy did was.. Well, it was unacceptable. I wish I’d stood up to her. I’m trying to make her see what she does, it just isn’t right, but she’s so.. so..” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“She’s stubborn.” I mumbled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Greg run a hand through his hair as he nodded solemnly.

“It’s my fault.” Jesse muttered quietly to himself, still staring at the clinically white floor.

“Mate, it’s really not your fault.” Greg said, rubbing Jesse’s arm from his position on the floor. “It really isn’t your fault. Just trust me on this one.”

“It is.” Jesse looked at me for a second before turning back to the floor. “If I’d just met up with you or text you or just not been a complete ass, Ryan wouldn’t have... He wouldn’t have... I should have just..” Jesse trailed off, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

I squeezed my hand on his knee and began slowly rubbing my thumb over the fabric of his jeans. “It was nobody’s fault.” I whispered to him as Greg rubbed his eyes. “Stuff like this happens all the time.”

An awkward silence settled around the corridor. Every few minutes a nurse or doctor would walk through the corridor, but never slowed down to talk to us.

Minutes turned to hours and soon, my eyes were beginning to droop. I slowly leaned onto Jesse, resting the back of my head on his shoulder, still keeping my hand on his knee. Jesse shifted in his seat a little, moving his body back so he was comfortable. He moved his arm from behind my back and slid it around my body, pulling me into his side. I settled into his embrace and left sleep wash over me as Jesse shifted the arm in his sling to try and get comfortable.

***

Jesse’s POV

Sophia snuggled into me as I put my arm around her. No matter how angry I was with her, with myself, with Ryan, slowly, that anger seeped away from me with every shallow breath Sophia made as she fell into a deep slumber.

I watched her chest rise and fall continually for a long time as Greg got up and paced the corridor.

Suddenly the doors burst open and several nurses pushed a bed with a still Ryan atop it.

“Is he ok? Why isn’t he moving? What’s happened to him?” Greg shot questions at each of the nurses who slowly began to explain what had happened to him.

My mind was reeling, watching his almost lifeless body go past me. I  was frozen. I couldn’t move.

“It’s all my fault.” I muttered to myself as his body disappeared behind two large doors at the other end of the long corridor.

“Mr Bishop, Mr Clark suffered multiple fractures, suffered a brain trauma and lost a lot of blood. He’s been in surgery for 10 hours. For now, he is in a stable condition. That’s really all I can say right now. I’m sorry, I really wish I could tell you more.”

Greg nodded and claimed the seat next to me.

“He’s going to be ok, mate.” He said quietly before rubbing his eyes and phoning a few of Ryan’s closest friends and family.

I listened as Greg slowly explained the news to each of the family members and friends, never once did he mention my name, and never once did he explain why Ryan was driving so fast when it was raining that hard.

As he put the phone down one final time, Greg slid down in his seat and rest the back of his long head on the chair rest, slowly closing his eyes. “He’s going to be ok.” Greg whispered so quietly, I almost didn’t hear it. A few seconds later, his breathing slowed and Greg fell asleep in the knowledge the Ryan was going to be ok.”

I'm really sorry for the naff ending of this chapter. I'm so tired and I've just got home from college and this was the best ending I could write right now. 

I also really need to appologise for how long it's taken me to update this. I've just been so busy with work and college and trying to complete work experience hours. It's been ridiculous. I'm so exhausted but I've been adding little bits to this since the last chapter, so sorry if it doesn't flow very well.